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Gear oil substitute for 60's vintage tiller

H

hummusdude

New User
I just got a Kuhn EL 60 M130 tiller and the manual says to use Shell Spirax 90 EP but that is not available. In looking online for substitutes I ran across multiple bbs referring to the need to avoid the wrong kind of gear oil lest it will cause irreversible corrosion. The tiller is in really good condition considering it's age and I want to be careful with it. Is there a popular gear oil folks use for these older implements? I'm wondering if the metals used might need special oil.
 
With some machines the lube must be bronze compatable. I know that is
true with the Troy Horse tillers. Just read up.
 

Motor oil is always yellow metal friendly. 50wt motor oil is thicker than 90wt gear oil. Motor oil is also rated GL4 or better protection.
Just use Shell Rotella T1 straight weight 50.
For reasons unknown some people's eyes open wide in terror when motor oil is suggested for a gear box.
 
LOL about the terror part! Had an International-built 5 speed trans in a '78 Loadstar. On the 3rd rebuild I took it to Adelman's in Canton, Ohio and they gave it some upgrades (roller bearings in problem areas) and said to run 50W motor oil from now on. Trans hasn't been out since 1987. BFI used to let bids to oil companies to supply oil for a year's time. Our dealer, who was Union 76, said BFI ran Guardol 50 in all their manual shift trucks. I've had oil gurus tell me, "The molecular structure of motor oil is sheared by the gears" or some such. All I know is that it works.
 
Shell still sells an equivalent. Red Line makes an excellent GL4, 90W replacement. I use the Red Line in all my stuff that
calls for GL4 90W.
a162955.jpg
 
I had quite a time finding GL-4 gear oil for my Nissan pickup. I tried GL-5 but it didn't want to shift. I switched to Amsoil Manual Trans gear
lube and it worked well. Later, when working in a vintage Gilson tiller, I ended up using the leftover Amsoil in it as the gears were brass(?). It
is 16 a quart now but it does protect the yellow metal.

Aaron
 
Here's what we use if we're concerned about bronze/brass/etc. Web site doesn't say it's yellow-metal friendly but the back of the container
explicitly states that it is. You can find it referenced on tiller web sites as safe for older Troy Bilts. Note also that it is a 140W oil,
specifically for gears. Manufacturer # is SL24238.
Yellow metal safe gear oil
 
(quoted from post at 08:38:46 06/16/17) Here's what we use if we're concerned about bronze/brass/etc. Web site doesn't say it's yellow-metal friendly but the back of the container
explicitly states that it is. You can find it referenced on tiller web sites as safe for older Troy Bilts. Note also that it is a 140W oil,
specifically for gears. Manufacturer # is SL24238.
Yellow metal safe gear oil
Click to expand...

http://www.widman.biz/uploads/Transaxle_oil.pdf
 

thanks sotxbill for the link...very interesting and informative. And thanks to all the other replies too. Lot's to digest in here.
 
Finally got through to Kuhn. Thought this info might be interesting to some.

Okay...just one more. The gear oil specified in the operators manual is no longer available. What do you recommend?
Click to expand...
uhn:

Jim, A straight 90 weight EP [extreme pressure] rated gear lube of any brand would be fine. Failing that, 80W-90 EP rated gear lube could also be used.

Great...thank you. In researching the question I've come across divergent opinions about GL4 and GL5 rated oils. Something about GL5 being caustic to the "yellow metals" in older gears. Do you recommend I avoid a GL5 oil?
Click to expand...
uhn:Either of those grades will be fine, the issue that you are referring to has to do with synchronizers in transmissions and not a regular bevel gearbox as this machine has. If there was something to avoid, it would have been mentioned in the recommendation below.

Thanks again for all the input and good info to all who replied.
 
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